GearJunkie ‘Top Gear’ Of The Year 2016

It’s the end of 2016, and as is our annual tradition, a time to look back at the best gear we tested this year. Of the hundreds of products GearJunkie staff and team athletes reviewed and put through the paces, these items stood out as some of the best.

Ski-touring boots tend to limit ankle motion. The Arc’teryx Procline gives greater mobility, including 50 degrees of forward flex and side-to-side movement in the cuff. The result is a hybrid unlike anything before, letting you efficiently ski uphill, lock in for going down, or add crampons when the terrain gets steep.

Polartec launched a new cooling fabric called Delta. It’s made of a contrasting weave of hydrophilic lyocell fiber, which retains perspiration, and hydrophobic polyester. The result is a material that disperses moisture and increases airflow, keeping you cool, while preventing the garment from becoming soggy or clingy. We’ve tested it to good results, better than other cooling shirts that use chemicals to simply feel cool to the touch. Delta is the most effective cooling fabric we’ve used yet.